Cobalt Blue
by nikita34
Summary: Cameron is back at PPTH after a few months, leaving House to ponder several ideas and make some decisions.  This story starts off with CuH and CC.  Rated M for later on. P.S I'm not good with the summaries
1. Chapter 1

His expression: _undeniably honest_

His words: _characteristically filled with avoidance and sarcasm_

His eyes: _cobalt eyes were nothing except a gift of beautiful genetics that were certainly nice to look at._

To say they spoke volumes, with one stare he was telling you what he really felt because it was too complicated to form into words would be an over-stated-**scratch that**- it would simply be an exaggeration, unless we're all a mass crowd of poets who search for the perfect metaphors and vivid descriptions for every insignificant detail.

Pause...Right.

Regardless if one gaze into those orbs could morph a word into the mind or not, there's no question that they highlighted the intensity of an expression that defined his sentiments.

- - -

It was never an effortless task to focus on his words without being bombarded with waves of hypnotics when he gave instruction or scolded. Perhaps that's why she lasted as long as she did working under him.

Who knows how Foreman and Chase did it for so many years?

Cameron was reluctant in her response when she agreed to a meeting with Cuddy after she offered a position in the Immunology Department.

It was two floors up from the Diagnostic Department so she figured it might not be as bad as she seemed to be imagining. House didn't even have to know. Maybe she'd last a few months before he discovered that she was, once again, working at the same hospital, but if she would refrain from being the optimist, she wouldn't have set herself up for disappointment when he walked into her office on her first day.

"I thought you quit," he leered with his head peeking through the door.

She sat behind her desk sorting through papers and arranging picture frames at the corner of her desk, anything to keep her occupied so she wouldn't have to face the smug grin that was sure to be present on his own.

"I did quit. Now I'm working for this department."

"Right," he said, his head hanging. Glancing up at her, she still hadn't looked at him. He opened the door all the way and took a seat on the couch that was against the wall.

"So how long do you think it'll be before you have a crush on your new boss," he asked.

Without missing a beat she replied,

"I'd give it a two weeks, maybe one if he's damaged."

His head tilted to the side, intrigued and yet, not so much. Leaning forward, he pushed his cane from hand to hand, unsure of what should or shouldn't be said. He wanted to leave, but his reason for coming, his need for an explanation was forcing him to stay until he got his answers.

No problem, though, because it was fun to harass her sometimes.

"Why don't we save each other the time and annoyance. Why are you here," she asked, finally looking up at him.

"I want to know why you came back," he stated plainly.

"Because my new position of employment and office that's restricted for myself only isn't obvious enough," she quipped, clearly annoyed by his antics.

"I want to know why this hospital. You could've gotten a job anywhere and yet, you chose to be here. Why," he asked. It really wasn't even a question, but a demand for honesty.

"Cuddy offered the position so I took it. Does it really matter that I'm working here?"

"No, but it is interesting."

"Why, because you think that I still have feelings for you, that I'm not going to be able to stay away, that I'm going to come to you sooner or later and ask for a real chance? Get over yourself, House."

"You're dating Chase."

"You're dating Cuddy," she countered back, her gaze unwavering from his own.

"Who told you that," he asked surprised by her knowledge of his newfound relationship, brows together in confusion and curiosity.

Shrugging her shoulders,

"Cuddy let a comment slip, and I put it together."

"Right," he said with a nod, pushing himself up with his cane. Opening the door to exit, he turned around, when he heard her speak,

"I didn't quit because of you, House. I quit because there was nothing left to learn."

He scoffed, shaking his head with his tongue in his cheek,

"Always trying to make everyone like you. You can say what you want," he said opening the door wider,

"Don't worry. I know that you quit on me," and with that he slammed the door shut, Cameron jumping in her seat at the unexpected bang.

- - -

That night, House sat in his office, blinds closed, music playing, almost asleep when he heard a soft knock.

"Go away," he shouted to whoever was on the opposite side.

He rolled his eyes when the door opened, lifting his right leg as he removed it from its resting place on the stool.

"Do you plan on staying here all night," Cuddy asked as she made her way to his side of the desk.

"Don't have any plans so why not."

Her lips pressed together at his words and she moved to take a seat on the edge of his desk, her fingers beginning to knead the muscles in his shoulders.

"Do you want to come over tonight," she whispered in his ear, placing a soft kiss then tugging the lobe between her teeth.

"Why did you hire Cameron," he asked, ignoring her advances, pinching his lower lip.

"Because she's a good doctor, this is a good hospital, and the position seemed right for her," she stopped her movements, her hands sliding from his shoulders down to his biceps before she pulled away.

"I'm going home," she replied quietly.

Sighing, he pulled out his bottle of Vicodin, popping two pills before reaching for his cane.

"I'm coming with you," he called to her while putting on his jacket and followed her to her car.

**A/N: So that's the first chapter. Please let me know what you think. Comments are LOVE :D**


	2. Chapter 2

House awoke to the inevitable sharp pain coursing through his leg, screaming for drugs which he was happy to comply, along with an ache from the stiffness in his neck.

Sleeping on the couch can do that to you.

After he and Cuddy's 'routine' a few hours ago, instead of following her into the bedroom, he spent his time on the couch with Marissa Cooper and a bottle of Corona. Not his usual choice, but alcohol was alcohol at that moment.

His excuse for his absence: 'Too much pain in his thigh.'

Truth was, sleep wasn't one of his options because of the never-ending question rattling in his mind,

_' Why has Cameron come back?'_

It wasn't that he cared...honestly, but that it was an anomaly. Of course, House being House, he hated anomalies.

Though it's useless to mention because of its insignificance to his behavior, there was also the downside of Cuddy's unwillingness for round two.

Flipping through the channels after an episode of the O.C. was finished, House pushed against the cushions, boosting himself into a standing position. His thigh hissed its disapproval. It _was_ hurting more than usual; that wasn't complete bullshit that he told Cuddy, but his usual stock answer was the lie, although he didn't really know that himself.

After a while of inspecting, eating, drinking...pianoless, House ripped off a piece of scratch paper and scribbled a quick note to Cuddy:

_Went home. See you at work._

_Greg_

- - -

Lying awake, counting every crack that appeared on the wall, Cameron punched her pillow for what seemed like the millionth time, a pointless maneuver because nothing turned out to be comfortable.

Another punch and a kick of her feet, Cameron sighed in frustration, throwing the covers off her body, her legs swinging over the edge. Looking over her shoulder, she watched as Chase's chest rose and fell, his right hand flat against the mattress where she had just been, enjoying the warmth it contained.

Turning away, she gathered her clothes from the floor. It was getting a little stuffy in Chase's room so she made her way into his living room only to find it just as cramped, a collar stretch worthy sensation.

The windows were open, but it wasn't enough; she still felt like she couldn't breathe.

**EVERYTHING** about Chase was too much. He was like that Satan wrap they call Suran: never cooperates, clings whenever you pull away, is constantly sticking to itself (can you say 'self-absorbed?'). In simplest terms: a pain in the ass that gets the job done.

Cameron rubbed her forehead, an unconscious attempt to wipe away oncoming anger and headaches. Streams of her hair peeked between each finger as her hand ran through, fingers locking behind her neck.

She had to get out.

Grabbing her things, she quickly moved to the door, opened it without any hesitation and walked out without looking back.

It was the jingling of her keys that woke Chase.

- - -

When House walked into the conference room early the next morning, the first thing he noticed was the fresh coffee steaming from the pot on the counter. He scanned the room for hints as to who had made it, but there was nothing.

No jacket. No purse (?). No keys. Nothing.

Limping over, he opened the cabinet to grab his mug and poured himself a glass. After a single sip he knew instantly who had made it. Cameron.

He glanced down the hallway, even checked his office to see if she'd be sitting behind his desk sorting his mail. It seemed like a subtle attempt at getting her old job back. But honestly, if she wanted to work for him again, all she had to do was sit in the conference room during a diagnosis and that would be that. No questions or even words. It was all about the actions.

Raising the cup to his lips once more, he watched as Cameron made her way down the hall, opening the glass door and smirking as she jumped back in surprise with her hand flat against her chest.

"Why do people do that," he asked her amused.

"Do what?" She was clearly confused by his question, but who wouldn't be puzzled by randomness.

"Grip their chest when they're spooked. It's not going to prevent a heart attack or slow down your heart rate for that matter."

"It's a reflex," she stated plainly while making her way to the counter.

"A pointless-"

"Yes, House it's pointless, but it's what people do," she said as she grabbed a coffee cup from the shelf.

Ignoring her seemingly annoyed behavior, he shifted the topic of conversation and asked nonchalantly,

"Couldn't stay away, huh?"

"The coffee pot in the immunology break room was dirty and I didn't feel like washing it out," she said with a shrug.

"I can assure you that this one wasn't clean either."

"If you're in charge of it then I wouldn't doubt it," she said as she tilted the coffee pot, a grin appearing across her face which he reciprocated.

"And you would be very wise to think that," he said, eyes narrowed then taking another sip, moaning his approval,"Seriously. Admit it. You can't stay away from this place."

"Right," she agreed with sarcasm and a nod.

"You could have just gone to Starbucks."

"Are you complaining," she asked, another smirk finding its way on her face.

"Never," pause, "But there **are **other departments," he pointed out.

"I know this one. If you have a problem with me making the coffee in here, I'll keep it mind for future reference. This pot didn't have coffee streaks so I made a fresh pot."

"I don't need boring explanations."

"Then stop pushing for them."

An awkward silence fell between them while he puffed air from cheek to cheek and tapping his cane a few times.

"Soo. How are things with Chase?" It wasn't a genuine question, of course. Why would he care, right?

"They're fine," she exhaled, picking up her mug and heading for the door.

"But not great," he affirmed curiously.

"I'll see you later," ignoring his confident confirmation while opening the door and making her way to the elevator.

She didn't give any side glances through the glass walls out of fear for proving his point. Instead she focused her gaze on the up button against the wall, but still feeling his pensive stare following her along the way.

House studied Cameron's movements as she walked down the hall, trying to detect some sort of tense posture...anything to show discomfort. When nothing confirmed his search, he sighed and grabbed his cane, holding it up to examine with disappointment before resigning and limping heavily to his office.


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the week was nothing more than awkward hello's, tense elevator rides, and sarcastic barbs to disguise jittery and undefined nerves.

Maybe not unknown to House. He kept telling himself she was just really hot. But for Cameron, the reason was a questionable one.

Was it House?

Was it her?

Was she actually missing Chase?

Perhaps it was the new job. The awkwardness could easily be from the uncharacteristic change of heart by House and dating Cuddy. It took a few times of seeing them together before the idea actually stuck in her head that they were an item without seeming too creepy.

Seeing them at lunch. Cuddy's parting kisses. Simply the physical contact.

Then there was Chase. Like before, he was still sweet which constantly made her feel like crap. To him, this was just time apart, to give some space, some alone time. To Cameron, it was ending an inevitable disaster from happening in the future.

So to sum it up: She was having a shit time at home and a shit time at work. Not to mention the loss of strenuous but rewarding activities in the bedroom. The only thing she found to be true was abstinence really is the best thing because withdrawal from sex is a bitch.

By Friday night, Cameron found herself searching the kitchen for something to eat. Opening her freezer, she found what she was looking for: a tub of chocolate chip cookie dough. She checked her fridge, but decided against the chocolate syrup and whipped cream.

A half hour later, Cameron found herself in front of her TV, watching some pointless chick flick (in this case, Wedding Date), with a half gallon of ice cream,the only light coming from the screen. There was no paying attention to the movie. Her mind was focused on the one thing she couldn't have, and she almost felt ashamed to take care of it herself again. It almost felt like by doing so would be a reminder, a final realization that once again, she was alone.

But apparently not for long. A loud knock at her door tore her away from thoughts that didn't include someone else. She knew who was at the door, and it was just a decision of whether or not she wanted to let him inside. She should have already guessed that he would stop by. After all, Chase isn't the one to actually get a clue til the millionth time, and even then he's cock sure.

When she opened the door, the first thought that came to her mind did not include a hello, or nice surprise, it was simply a, 'What the hell?' House stood outside, shoulder leaning against the door frame as he watched her intensely, the kind of look where she didn't know if he was angry or contemplative. It didn't really matter, because bottom line, it made her uncomfortable.

"Are you going to let me in," he asked, motioning to the inside with his cane. She didn't respond, only crossing her arms when he raised his eyebrows as a way of pushing an answer out of her.

"Depends…"

"On?"

"Why are you here," she asked the question with a curious tilt of her head, eyes narrowing slightly to try and read any sort of expression or movement that would help her figure out what was going on.

His shoulders shrank slightly as he watched her, his head bowing to study the ground before raising his brows.

"I need," he paused, shaking his head from side to side in debate. Cameron was growing more curious, and his hesitation only elevated her irritation.

"You need what, House," her tone clearly expressing impatience.

With a sigh, "Advice."

"Advice," pause, "You came here for my advice."

"Yes! Now will you let me in." Stepping forward, Cameron took hold of the knob closing the door more to hide the rest of her apartment, and also to block his entrance.

"What do you need to talk about?" In other words, 'You're not coming in here until I know what's happening.'

A quick roll of his eyes, "Christ Cameron," he pushed open the door, brushed his way past to take a seat on the couch. There really was no getting rid of him so instead of arguing, Cameron chose to find out 'whatever' it was, them immediately show him the door. Taking a seat on the opposite side of the couch, Cameron's body stiffened when House slid next to her, thigh to thigh, when she hit the cushion.

"Cuddy's apparently pissed at me…" he started.

"Wait," lifting her hand to interrupt, House mid-word,"You're seriously asking me about your girlfriend?"

He nodded.

"Go home, and if you can't figure it out, then call Wilson."

"I need a woman's free opinion," he shrugged as if it was the most obvious reasoning.

"Are you really that clueless as to why Cuddy would be 'pissed' at you or are you really just wanting to waste my time?" She couldn't look at him, wouldn't look at him.

Turning her head would cause the tip of their noses to touch, their lips only an inch apart, and neither could afford that. Besides, as Cameron told herself, she was just deprived and he happened to be the only male nearby.

"Do you really think I'd be here talking to you instead of being in bed with her," after asking the question, he recognized the rude and tactless phrasing, then cleared his throat to try again."Look, if there wasn't something going on then…"

"House, I get it. Please go and talk to Wilson," as she began to stand, House took hold of her wrist, pulling it back gently to make her turn.

"This time's different." Seeing his eyes, the way they somehow begged her for assistance, whatever it may be, made her unable to turn him down. It was obvious to her then that he did care about Cuddy. She would almost believe that he loved her, but then again it's House, and just the thought of him being with her didn't seem comforting. Honestly, it bothered her. But the question was why? Cameron pressed her lips together, taking a seat once again unable to look away at the point they were joined.

She felt the tightness of his grip loosen when she sat down, but he didn't let go, and she almost felt relieved. The corner of his mouth twitched in thanks before he began,

"Yesterday.."_'How many deaths does it take til he knows that too many people have died? The answer my friend is blowin in the wind. The answer…' _

House reached for his cell, flipped it open,

"Hello."

As he stood, releasing Cameron's wrist, she watched as he held onto his damaged thigh while pacing before her.

"I'll be right over," hanging up the phone he turned to Cameron,

"That was Lis- that was Cuddy," he scanned her apartment before continuing, "I'm going over there."

"Right. I'll see you tomorrow at work."

"Yeah," grabbing his cane, Cameron watched as he speed limped to the door, slamming it shut without looking back or saying goodbye. One word to describe that night: Weird.

1) House came over for advice

2) Cameron was beginning to think that her feelings for House weren't necessarily long gone as she'd hoped.


End file.
